US TikTok star Luke Rockwell arrested in Thailand for allegedly having sex with 16-year-old girl

Luke Rockwell has been charged with unlawful sex with a minor and recording the sexual acts

Published on: Sep 6, 2023, 12:00:59 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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An American teacher and TikTok celebrity has been accused of having sex with a 16-year-old fan in Thailand, according to Thai Police. 29-year-old Luke Rockwell, who is a resident of Florida, has also been accused of passing STDs onto the girl. He was arrested in Bangkok late last week.

Luke Rockwell, who is a resident of Florida, has also been accused of passing STDs onto the girl (Teacher Luke/Facebook)

Luke has been charged with unlawful sex with a minor and recording the sexual acts, Royal Thai Police Lieutenant General Thitsit Sangsawan told the Daily Mail. In Thailand, the age of consent is 15. However, it is against the law to conduct "indecent acts" with a person between the ages of 15 and 18 outside of marriage.

Luke was an English teacher, teaching in the Thai capitol, when he was arrested, according to Police Colonel Vajirakorn Wongboon, NBC News reported.

Luke has at least 1.3 million followers on Tiktok. After his arrest, he set his account to private.

‘Teacher Luke told her to keep everything a secret’

The girl’s mother found out about her relationship with the teacher when her daughter began having abdominal pains caused by chlamydia and gonorrhoea. The mom then contacted the Department of Welfare For Children and Women. The department joined officers from the Khlong Tan station and took Luke into custody.

“My daughter said the first time they had sex, Teacher Luke used protection but after he did not use any. She trusted him,” the mother told the Daily Mail. “Teacher Luke told her to keep everything a secret until she turned 18. He told my daughter that he loved her and would let her come live with him when she’s no longer a minor.” If found guilty, Luke faces up to 10 years behind bars and fines of about $560 USD.

In 2021, Luke found himself in the centre of a controversy after posting videos accusing the Philippines of being one of the most racist countries in the world. After he uploaded the videos, the hashtag #CancelTeacherLuke began trending on TikTok.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More